Friday, April 23, 2010

Ten weeks from now it will be time to get Todd Wright a birthday card. I only know this because of the singer-songwriter’s 40x40 project, which he has been promoting on Facebook and other websites. An acquaintance of his clued me in about Wright’s ambitious plan a while back, and I’ve been noting his progress in the Elevated Observations column on my blog.

Wright wants to raise funds to support Juvenile Diabetes research by releasing a free track download each Wednesday for 40 straight weeks, to coincide with this 40th birthday. With this week’s song, “Let Me Down Easy,” Wright is three quarters of the way through. If you go to his website at www.orangepopsongs.com to download the song, consider making a donation of $10, $25, $50, or $100 to the American Diabetes Association. The songs are also available for $5.99 as a digital download with a bonus track and PDFs of the CD art, and for $11.99 as an actual CD with a bonus track and PDFs of the CD art. Buyers will be entered to win an iPod loaded with all of Wright’s 40x40 project songs. Keep up the good work, Todd, you’re in the home stretch now.

It’s the second day of International Pop Overthrow’s ninth visit to Chicago. Tonight’s IPO showcase at The Abbey kicks off with the co-ed indie rock of Chicago’s cleverly named Magatha Trysty, followed by veteran power pop musician and Michigan native Jeremy. The rest of tonight’s acts are local. Gidgets Ga Ga aren’t related to Lady; they’re a power pop band who play energetic songs like “Beki” and “Offer You Can’t Refuse.” The Laureates likewise go the irresistible power pop route, while The Blissters (not the same band as The Blisters, which includes Jeff Tweedy’s kid) opt for a more punk style of music augmented by keyboards.

Penthouse Sweets are energetic and fun; they did a bang-up job of portraying The Sex Pistols at The Abbey’s Halloween bash last October, and they’re sure to be cutting loose tonight. Million Yen’s gift for well-crafted power pop is evident throughout its 2001 CD, Blue Television Windows. Chicago alternative veterans Ellis Clark & Epicycle will surely provide a wild finale for IPO Day Two. Clark, who performs with The Handcuffs, as well as Epicycle, has been promising surprises, and there’s a good chance drummer Brad Elvis of The Handcuffs will be joining in.

Note: There is an all ages IPO show tomorrow afternoon at The Abbey, as well as a nighttime IPO show at The Spot on Broadway. See the website for the schedules.

Chicago rockers Dot Dot Dot have been promoting their new self-titled CD on a national tour that has included Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Indiana, and Wisconsin. They’re be back in Illinois for a show on April 30th at The Roadhouse in Elgin.

On a sad note, I received an e-mail yesterday from Illinois Entertainer editor Steve Forstneger forwarding a message from the High Rise PR agency that Devon Clifford, the drummer for the neo-1980s band You Say Party! We Say Die! suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage from congenital defects while performing last Friday. I had recently reviewed the band’s latest CD, XXXX for the Illinois Entertainer, praising its impossibly catchy guitar and keyboard arrangements. I extend my sympathy to You Say Party! We Say Die! as well as his family and friends.

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About This Blog

Broken Hearted Toy is an eclectic celebration of creativity, with over 2,000 posts since 2009.

It's based in Chicago but covers power pop, garage, cutting-edge, and 1960s rock from around the globe; along with occasional bits on art; literature; and theatre.

Top of the hill is a nice place to be at. - - - "Elevated Observations" by The Hollies.

Check out some of my previoius creative endeavors.

Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff was a weekly Internet show created by and starring Jeff Kelley. It mostly consisted of comedy bits and obscure 1960s garage rock set to vintage TV and film clips but also spotlighted entertainment events around Illinois.

My wife Pam and I created a handful of series (each episode was about two minutes long) that were shown on Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff. They included Manchester Gallery (see description below); Old Days, which I hosted in the persona of a cranky old man named Fritz Willoughby; Roving Reporter, where I played the clueless title character; What's With Terry?, a performance arts program; and Hanging With The Hollies, a takeoff on Breakfast With The Beatles.

I've also worked with Kelley and Willy Deal on comedy clips, and with Kelley and David Metzger on films for the annual Nightmare on Chicago Street Halloween festival in Elgin.

I'm particularly proud of this 21-episode comedy series Pam and I created for Sunday Morning Coffee With Jeff. Each installment was a few minutes long, and featured me portraying Terrence, the curator of a pop culture museum.

I was a staff writer for this Chicago-based magazine from 1987 to 2015. The Illinois Entertainer has been covering rock music for over 40 years, and can be found in stores and entertainment venues, as well as in an online edition.

Chicago Art Machine was a web-based publishing company run by Editor-in-Chief, Kathryn Born, and Managing Editor, Robin Dluzen, that included Chicago Art Magazine, Chicago DIY Film,Chicago Performance And Trailers, and TINC. Most of my submissions appeared in Chicago DIY Film and Chicago Performance And Trailers, although I contributed to all the online Chicago Art Machine publications.

I was a writer and performer with this local comedy group from 1989 to 2009. Famous In The Future continues to perform in the Chicago area, and appeared at every one of the Abbie Hoffman Died For Our Sinstheatre festivals that were held at the Mary-Arrchie Theatre. Since the closing of the Mary-Arrchie Theatre a few years ago, Famous In The Future has carried on the tradition by presenting Yippie Fest each year in August.

I'm an active member of SCBWI, (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and have written two Middle Grade fantasy novels. I've just finished a YA/paranormal novel, and also wrote a suspense/satiric novel that takes place amidst Chicago's alternative music scene in the mid-1980s.

Broken Hearted Toy

The blog title comes from the line, "I'm the brokenhearted toy you play with" in the song "I Can't Let Go" by The Hollies. One of the great original British Invasion bands, The Hollies continue to have an immense influence on power pop bands to this day, and have finally been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Here is a video of "I Can't Let Go" being performed in 1966.